Sonalee Rashatwar

Sonalee Rashatwar is a clinical social worker, sex therapist, adjunct lecturer, and grassroots organizer recognized for their work under the social media moniker TheFatSexTherapist. Rashatwar holds a Master of Social Work and a Master of Education in Human Sexuality from Widener University and has extensive experience in anti-violence work. As co-owner of Radical Therapy Center, Rashatwar specializes in treating sexual trauma, diet trauma, racial or immigrant trauma, and South Asian family abuse, with a focus on fat-positive sexual healthcare.

Rashatwar is active in movements addressing how traditional sex education has marginalized people of color, fat individuals, people with disabilities, and transgender and non-binary communities. Their approach to therapy and sex education centers a broader definition of pleasure dysfunction, prioritizing the experiences of queer and trans people of color, fat and disabled individuals, and those at the intersections of multiple marginalized identities. Rashatwar emphasizes trauma recovery through pleasure, addressing shame as a critical component of sexual trauma recovery.

As an immigrant and community organizer, Rashatwar brings insight into how residual colonialism shapes sexuality norms. They develop workshops that examine the marginalization of gender, sexual behavior, and health by interlocking systems of oppression. Through the Instagram account thefatsextherapist, Rashatwar engages a large audience with content on fatness, capitalism, sex, and desire, using therapeutic videos and educational messaging.

Rashatwar gained national attention after being featured on Breitbart for discussing thinness as a white supremacist beauty ideal. As an author and podcaster, Rashatwar addresses topics such as fatness, fat acceptance, anti-fat bias, sexuality, fat positivity, disability justice, and racism. Their public speaking includes multimedia presentations that critique fad diets and analyze fatphobic misogyny in Bollywood cinema, using pop culture and humor to engage audiences.

Rashatwar has presented at the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists, including a keynote on "The Colonization of Sex Positivity," and has spoken at universities and conferences nationwide on body image, race, and trauma-informed sexual health. As a community organizer, Rashatwar has facilitated a free five-day political action summer camp for LGBT+ South Asian and Indo Caribbean youth. Their work bridges clinical expertise with social justice advocacy, contributing to ongoing conversations about body liberation, sexual health, and equity.